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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 2 Virginia women’s lacrosse team hosts No. 3 Maryland in an Atlantic Coast Conference game this Friday at Klckner Stadium. Opening draw is scheduled for 7 p.m., with the game being broadcast on ACC Select. Live stats for the contest can be found on VirginiaSports.com.
The Cavaliers enter the contest with a 4-0 record after upsetting No. 3 Syracuse, 14-11, on the road last week. Junior Brittany Kalkstein led Virginia in the contest, winning eight draw controls, while senior All-American Jenny Hauser and redshirt junior Whitaker Hagerman each tallied four goals. In goal for the Cavaliers, redshirt junior Lauren Benner stopped nine shots, while holding the Orange to their lowest point total of the season.
Benner was honored as the womenslacrosse.com Defensive Player of the Week for her play in Virginia’s wins over Richmond (16-7) and Syracuse.
Maryland (3-0) is also coming off an upset win, in which the Terrapins defeated then-No. 2 Duke, 15-13, to remain undefeated on the season and pick up their first conference win. Laura Merrifield led Maryland in the contest, scoring a career-high five goals.
Karri Ellen Johnson and Caitlyn McFadden lead the Terps this season, tallying 14 points each. Johnson has recorded a team-high 12 goals and has won 11 draw controls.
Senior All-American Ashley McCulloch leads the Cavaliers and the ACC in points and assists per game this season, while sitting second nationally. McCulloch has distributed 15 assists and scored 14 goals for a team-high 29 points. Senior All-American Blair Weymouth also has 14 goals, ranking them both 22nd nationally.
Junior Kaitlin Duff has collected 12 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers the 10th most among all NCAA players while Kalkstein sits tied for sixth on the national lists, winning 18 draw controls.
In goal, Benner ranks ninth nationally, giving up just 7.50 goals per game, and 12th nationally with her league-best .544 save percentage.
With 47 all-time contests played between the Cavaliers and Terrapins one at least every year since 1982 Maryland is Virginia’s most played opponent. The Terrapins hold the advantage in the series, 30-17, but the Cavaliers have won eight of the last nine meetings. Virginia has won the last six meetings in Charlottesville, including a come-from-behind 10-9 overtime upset win over the Terrapins in last season’s ACC Championship title game.
The Cavaliers will face a quick turnaround following the game, playing host to Penn State in a non-conference match on Sunday. The game is slated to begin at noon and will mark the first of a double-header with Virginia’s men’s lacrosse team.